Warp beam



Jan. 29, 1946. MCCASUN 2393349 WARP BEAM I Filed Oct. 2, 1943 INVENTOR STANLEY N McCAsuN Patented Jan. 29, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WARP BEAM Stanley N. McCaslin, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 2, 1943, Serial No. 504,756

9 Claims. (Cl. 242-124) This invention relates to warp beams more particularly of the type used in weaving and it is the general object of the invention to provide a beam with an improved beam head which can be held tightly in adjusted position on the beam without injuring the barrel of the latter.

The warp for looms is generally Wound on a large beam located at the back of the loom and from which the warp unwinds as it moves forwardly during the weaving operation. Sinceit is desirable to weave fabrics of varying widthson a loom it is customary to wind the warp on the beam barrel between heads the positions of which can be adjusted along the barrel to accommodate the particular width of fabric to be woven. Certain types of warp threads, such as recently developed synthetic yarns, exert considerable end pressure on the beam heads. It is an important object of my invention to provide a beam head having incorporated therein radially movable clamps under control of a disk rotatable on the beam head and so related to the clamps as to force them tightly against the beam barrel for the purpose of withstanding the end pressure of the warp wound between the beam heads.

It is a further object of my present invention to provide a beam head having associated therewith a rotatable disk provided with a scroll to engage blocks having scroll teeth and mounted in radial slots to be moved toward the beam barrel by turning the disk in one direction to clamp the head firmly on the barrel and movable away from the barrel to release the head by turning the disk in a reverse direction.

It is a further object of my invention to provide the web or flange of a beam head with clamp blocks which lie between the web and a scroll disk so that the end pressure of the warp will be directed against the block and not the disk. By this arrangement the disk is free to turn when occasion arises without being held by the warp pressure.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one end of a warp beam with my invention applied thereto, parts being in section,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2, Fig. 1, parts being removed,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the scroll disk as viewed from the right hand end of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the disk looking in the direction of arrow 4, Fig, 3,

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the clamp blocks shown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is an end View ofthe clamp block looking in the direction of arrow 6, Fig. 5,

Fig. '7 is an enlarged side view of the beam head with the scroll disk and clamp blocks removed as seen from the left end of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of part of the beam head looking in the direction of arrow 8, Fig. 1.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, I have shown a warp beam having a tubular barrel It) which is preferably metallic and is provided at each end with a friction head H and gudgeon l2 to accommodate it for use in a loom. In Fig. 1 I hale shown only one of the friction heads and one of the gudgeons which support the beam either in the bearing of a winding machine or loom.

If desired rods is may extend through the bar-- rel It! and connect the friction heads at the opposite ends thereof to hold them tightly in place. The friction head may be provided with a friction surface Hi to accommodate the let-off mechanism of a loom and is secured to the barrel by bolts or the like 15. The friction head may be of any desired type and the form set forth is merely illustrative.

My invention relates more particularly to the adjustable warp heads H one of which will be located adjacent each end of the beam. One of these adjustable warp heads is shown in Fig. 1 and comprises a plate or web 20 having a circular hub 2i integral therewith and connected thereto by reinforcing ribs 22. The central part of the plate 2!! is bored to provide a bearing surface 23 which preferably fits accurately on and is slidable along the outside surface of the barrel. The plate is provided with segmental recesses 25 within the hub 2| separated by walls 26 connected byarcuate ribs 21 within the hub 21. The walls and ribs are preferably machined so that the surfaces thereof facing to the left as viewed in Fig. 1 will be fiat. Each wall 26 has a machined radial slot 2% extending inwardly to the web it. There are three of these slots as shown particularly in Fig. 7 and each extends through the bearing surface 23 and communicates with the bore of the warp head.

Located in each slot 23 is a clamp block 3% shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and comprising a body 3! having a smooth fiat surface 32 to rest on the bottom of the associated slot 28. That part of the body 3l opposite the surface 32 is provided with scroll teeth 33 which project away from the plate 20 and toward the left as viewed in Fig. 1. These clamp blocks are shorter than the slots 23 to be slidable along the latter an appreciable distance, and have flat walls 34 which accurately fit the slots 28.

Located Within the hub 2| is a scroll disk 35 having a web 36 from which projects a scroll 31, shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, so made as to fit the teeth 33 of the blocks 30. The web 36 has an internal bore 38 which preferably fits the barrel l accurately but is sufficiently free to move therearound. The periphery of the web 36 is provided with a series of radial holes for the reception of a removable pin 4! or the like for the purpose of turning the disk relatively to the beam head. In order to facilitate this turning certain parts of the flange 2| are recessed as at 42 and the distance between adjacent holes 40 bears such a relation to the length of the recesses 42 that by changing the pin from one hole to the next the disk can be rotated around the barrel Ill.

The ribs 22 lead to lugs 45 formed as part of the hub 2| and have threaded holes 46 to receive screws or bolts 41 which hold a flat plate 48 in place on the end of the hub 2| This plate holds the disk 35 in position and as shown in Fig. 8 bridges the recesses 42 to make the holes 4! accessible.

In assembling the beam the complete head H with blocks 30, disc 35 and plate 48 is fitted over the barrel l0 and then the friction head I! applied. The head H is slipped along the barrel Hi to the position which it is to occupy, after which the scroll disk 35 is turned by means of the holes 40 and pin 4| in such a direction as to cause the blocks 30 to move radially toward the barrel in. The inner ends of the clamps 30 may if desired bear against hardened fiber pads 50 located in the slots 28 and adapted for engagement with the barrel ill, but these pads may be omitted. The disk 35 can be turned until considerable force is exerted by the blocks 3!] against the barrel l 0 to hold the head H in fixed position on the barrel. As shown in Fig. 1 the right hand surface of the plate Ill is that part of the warp head which engages the warp and any tendency which the warp has to expand will force the plate against the blocks 30. This force is therefore not exerted directly against the disk 35 or the thin plate 48.

In order that the ends of the blocks 33 may all exert pressure on the barrel their teeth 33- are at different distances from their inner ends as viewed in Fig. 2. Since the blocks are 120 apart the distance of their teeth 33 from the barrel axis will be a multiple of one-third the pitch of the scroll. The blocks are therefore not identical so far as the distance between their inner ends and the inmost tooth 33 is concerned.

If it is desired to adjust the position of the head H along the barrel, the disk is turned in a reverse direction to move the blocks 30 along their slots 28 away from the barrel I ll. After the head H has been moved to its new position the scroll disk can again be turned to force the blocks 39 against the barrel IE! to hold the beam head in its new setting. The lead of the scroll is so gradual that there is no tendency for the teeth 33 to have a retrograde slipping movement which would loosen the blocks.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple form of warp beam having a beam head which carries a disk scroll operatively connected to clamping blocks which are movable radially by angular motion of the disk with respect to the warp head. It will also be seen that the blocks have their surfaces 32 facing the warp to receive the force of the latter tending to move the head H toward the adjacent end of the barrel l0, hence the scroll disk 35 and the plate 48 are subjected to very little if any force from the warp which would interfere with their setting. While I have shown a particular means for turning the scroll disk relatively to the plate 20 I do not wish necessarily to be limited to the holes 40 nor do I wish to be limited to the ,plate 48 as a means for holding the scroll disk in position on the warp head.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a warp beam having a barrel, a warp head on the barrel having radial slots and a circular recess therein, clamp members in said slots movable toward and from the barrel, a disk in said recess in the head rotatable on the barrel and having a scroll thereon, and means on said clamp members engaging the scroll to effect movement of said clamp members radially with respect to the barrel when the disk is turned relatively to the head.

2. In a warp beam having a barrel, a warp head on the barrel having guide slots formed therein extending toward the barrel, clamp members in said slots movable toward and from the barrel, a disk on the barrel rotatable with respect to the head and having a scroll thereon, and scroll teeth on the clamps meshing with said scroll by which said clamps are moved along said slots with respect to the head when the disk is moved angularly relatively to the head.

3. In a warp beam having a barrel, a warp head having a hub concentric with the barrel and having slotstherein extending toward the barrel, a clamp member in each slot movable along the latter toward and from'the barrel, a disk on the barrel located within said hub and rotatable relatively to the head and having a scroll thereon, and means on each clamp member meshing with said scroll whereby rotation of the disk relatively to the head will cause movementof the clamp members with respect to the barrel.

4. In a warp beam having a barrel, 2. warp head on the barrel having a web and a hub extending therefrom concentric with the barrel and in which is located a circular recess, the web having slots formed therein communicating with said recess and extending toward the barrel, a clamp member in each slot, a disk .on the barrel rotatable in said recess and having a scroll on that side thereof adjacent to the members, and means on the members meshing with said scroll to move said members along said slots relatively to the barrel when the disk is turned with respect to the head.

5. In a warp beam having a barrel, a warp head having a hub concentric with the barrel and provided with a recess around said barrel, a disk on the barrel located in said recess and having provision by which said disk can be turned with respect to the head, a scroll formed on one side of the disk, clamp members meshing with said scroll slidably mounted on the head and moved toward and from the barrel depending upon the direction in which the disk is turned relatively to the head.

6. In a warp beam having a barrel, a warp head having a web and a hub extending from said web concentric with the barrel, a disk rotatable in said hub and having a scroll on that side thereof facing the web, clamp blocks slidably mounted with respect to the web in a direction toward and from the barrel and located between said web and said disk, and scroll teeth on said blocks for engagement with said scroll and by means of which turning of the disk relatively to the web effects movement of the blocks with respect to the barrel.

7. In a warp beam having a barrel, a warp head having a web and a hub extending therefrom concentric with the barrel, a disk rotatable in said hub and having a scroll on that side thereof facing the web, clamp blocks slidably mounted on the web in a direction toward and from the barrel, scroll teeth on said blocks for engagement with said scroll, whereby turning of the disk relatively to the web effects movement of the blocks with respect to the barrel, and means supported by the hub beyond the disk with respect to the web to confine said disk within the hub.

8. In a warp beam having a cylindrical barrel. 9. warp head on said barrel having substantially radial slots therein, clamp means movable toward and from the barrel in said slots, a disk mounted directly On and engaging said barrel for rotation relatively thereto, and meshing means partly on said disk and partly on said clamps to cause the latter to move radially to the barrel when the disk is turned relatively to the head.

9. In a warp beam having a barrel, a warp head surrounding said barrel and having a circular recess therein, a clamp member slidably mounted on said head for movement toward and from the barrel, a disk within said recess in the head and rotatable on the barrel relatively to the head and in said recess and having a scroll thereon, and means on the clamp member to engage and be moved by said scroll relatively to the head and barrel when the disk moves angularly relatively to the head.

STANLEY N. MCCASLIN. 

